Pickled Carrots
© 2022 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text © Matt Horn. Photography © 2022 Andrew Thomas Lee
Matt Horn writes of this pickled carrot recipe in his cookbook, Horn Barbecue: "This is a standard pickle recipe for crisp carrots; the sweetness of this colorful root vegetable is enhanced by the tart-sweet brine and kick of mustard and fennel seeds. If you can get your hands on heirloom carrots—red, yellow, purple, and white—these pickles will look like art."
Find this recipe and others like it in "What Happens When the West Coast Barbecue King Sets out to Conquer Fried Chicken?" from Sunset's 2022 Garden Issue.
How to Make It
1
Place four empty pint jars, mouth side up, and their lids in a sterilizer rack in a stockpot.
2
Fill the pot and jars with hot water until the jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes.
3
One at a time, using tongs, remove hot, sterilized jars and lids and drain.
4
While the jars are sterilizing, prepare the pickle. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns until well mixed. Set aside.
5
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine vinegar, 2 cups water, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and keep mixture warm.
6
When the jars are sterilized, place one garlic clove into each jar and evenly divide spices among the jars.
7
Pack the carrots into the jars and pour the vinegar mixture over them, leaving 1⁄4-inch of headspace from the rim of the jar. Run a clean knife between the carrots to dislodge any air bubbles. Top up brine if needed.
8
Screw on the lids firmly, but not too tight, and place the packed jars back in the sterilizer rack in the water. The water should cover the filled jars by about 2 inches; add more water if needed. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Remove the rack and let the jars cool—the lids should pop.
9
It’s best to store all the jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, but technically the ones that “pop” can be stored at room temperature. (The non-poppers absolutely need to be refrigerated.)
Ingredients
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled
½ lb 2- to 3-inch-long carrots, peeled and quarted lengthwise
Directions
1
Place four empty pint jars, mouth side up, and their lids in a sterilizer rack in a stockpot.
2
Fill the pot and jars with hot water until the jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes.
3
One at a time, using tongs, remove hot, sterilized jars and lids and drain.
4
While the jars are sterilizing, prepare the pickle. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard seeds, fennel seeds, and peppercorns until well mixed. Set aside.
5
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine vinegar, 2 cups water, sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and keep mixture warm.
6
When the jars are sterilized, place one garlic clove into each jar and evenly divide spices among the jars.
7
Pack the carrots into the jars and pour the vinegar mixture over them, leaving 1⁄4-inch of headspace from the rim of the jar. Run a clean knife between the carrots to dislodge any air bubbles. Top up brine if needed.
8
Screw on the lids firmly, but not too tight, and place the packed jars back in the sterilizer rack in the water. The water should cover the filled jars by about 2 inches; add more water if needed. Bring to a boil for 15 minutes. Remove the rack and let the jars cool—the lids should pop.
9
It’s best to store all the jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, but technically the ones that “pop” can be stored at room temperature. (The non-poppers absolutely need to be refrigerated.)
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